Rake attachment for vehicles



March 13, 1945- E. s'EMBLl-:R ET Al. 2,371,549

BAKE ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES Filed April 26, 1944 INVENTORS E@ WARD'SEMBLER Jos PH E 6em/va ATTORN EYS Patented Mar. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES2,311,549 mannerisms-r Fon vnmcLEs Edward sembler and Joseph E. Gerard,

I nl l t A Application api-u zo, 1944.' seria No. 532.190 l 5Claima.

This invention relates to auxiliary tools adapted for attachment totractors. trucks or equivalent power driven vehicles and is directedmore particularly to an improved pusher type rake adaptedtobeattachedtotheforwardendofthevehlcle for removing stumps, rocks,underbrush, roots or other obstructions for the clearing of land prevparatory to the planting of crops.

One of the principal objections to devices of this type which areavailable and in general use is that they either eii'ect the turning ofthe subscil over the tcp soil or the displacementor disturbance of thetop soil to such an extent that it frequently requires two or moreseasons of Preparation of the land before it is suitable fortheproductive planting of crops.

The present invention broadly comprehends an improved rake attachmentcnf the indicated character which is so constructed and arranged as toprovide means for eifectivelyand rapidly clearing land of stumps,underbrush, rocks, roots or other obstructions without materiallydisplacing, turning under or otherwise disturbing the top soil, so thatthe land thus cleared may 4be'iuimediately planted.l

More particularly, the invention residesinthe provision of an improvedpusher type rake at- V tachment for tractors, trucks or equivalentvehicles which is so constructed as to obtain maxif mum strength inproportion to its weight, one in 'smooth and even and ready` forimmediate Plant with the above enumerated and other objects in view, theinvention is set forth in greater detail in the following specmuon,particularly pointed out in the appended claims 'and illustrated intheaccompanying drawing, in. which: l

Fig. 1 is a top plan-view ofa rake attachment constructed in accordancewith the present invention. v l I Fig.2isa'iron viewofthesame. Fig. 3 isa f entary side vle'w thereof. I. F18. 4 is a longitudinal sectional.view there- Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 isa fragmentary perspective view show-4 ins the connectionbetween one of the rake teeth andthelowercrossbeam.

(ci. sr-z) Referring t une drawing by enmarcar reference, the rakeattachment includes a pair of parallel vertically spaced upper and lowerhorizontally arranged cross'beams Il and I I, each oi'- 5 which ispreferably as shown of square crossv sectional sli'ape and of hollowconstruction to obtain the maximum strength in PIODUrtlon to its weight.The cross beams Il and il are rigidly secured at their oppositey ends toside plates I2 l which retain the beams in their vertically spacedparallel relation, while the lowercross beam II is rigidly secured atits opposite end portions re- .s'pectively to a pair of rearwardlydirected side arms I3 which have bolted or otherwise secured l theretobearing blocks Il, The rear end faces of (not shown) provided on avehicle for mounting Y the rake attachment thereon for vertical swingingmovement to raise and lower the same.

Inclined brace members I6 are rigidly securedv attheir forward ends tothe olmodte end portions of the upper cross beam `Il and extenddownwardly and rearwardly at an angle therefrom and are secured at theirlower rear ends `to the side arms I3 intermediate the ends thereof.Diagonal struts Il are connected' at their rear lower ends to the sidearms I 3 and at their forward `upper ends to the upper cross beam Iladjacent to the central portion thereof., A vertically 'disposed centralspacing andfreinforcing plate Il is securedarespectively at its upperand lower ends to the rear faces lof the cross beams Il and Il,

medially thereof and a ring I! or-equivalent atv taching element issecured to the forward face of the upper cross beam III at the. centerthereof for anchoring to the rake attachmenta suitable i0 hoistingmeanscarried .by the vehicle so that the rake attachment may be raised andlowered.

v The rake attachment further includes a plurality of identical raketeeth or tines designated generally by the reference character 2l andeach 5.1 of said teethconsists of a downwardly tapering foot portion 2 Ihaving forwardly curved downwardly converging leading and trailing edges22 and 23 and a substantially straight upwardly projectingshank'portionv 2l, the forwardedge 5 of which merges into the leadingedge of the 'foot vthrough taken approximately o'n the lirici- 4 of vshank portions. Each Atooth 2l has secured to the shankportion u thereofjuncture with the foot lportion, an attaching element 23 which, -asshown. is in the form of a u-shaped clip or clevis embracing the forwardand opposite side edges of the shank portion, with the rear terminals 21thereof protruding beyond the rear edge thereof and with the lower edgesspaced from the shoulders a distance approximately equal to the heightof the lower cross beam Il. The terminals provided with registeringapertures 28 and are adapted to nt between the upstandng flanges 29 of apair of spaced angle iron sections secured to the upper surface ofthelower cross beam Il, and which flanges 29 are formed with registeringapertures 30 adapted to be aligned with the apertures 28 so as toreceive therethrough a locking pin 3| for detachably connecting thelower ends of the shanksof the rake teeth to thel lower cross beam Il.It will be understood that there is a pair of angle iron sections foreach rake tooth except the two outermost teeth, in which instance asingle ,angle iron section will be employed for each of said outermostteeth, with the upstanding apertured flange of each spaced inwardly fromeach side plate I2, said side plates being formed with apertures 32registering with the aperture to receive the locking pins 3|.

In order to brace the rake teeth laterally and particularly thedepending foot portion 2 l4 of each tooth so as to relieve the same ofsome of the laterally exerted strains and stresses imparted thereto as aresult of the wedging therebetween of tree trunks, branches, roots,rocks or other objects, angle iron sections 34 are secured to theundersurface of the lower cross beam Il with the flanges thereofdepending therefrom and extending downwardly along opposite sides ofsaid foot portions with the exception of the outer side of each of theoutermost teeth, alongside of which the lower ends of the side plates l2extend.

The shank portions 24 of the rake teeth 20, adjacent the upper endsthereof are detachably secured in juxtaposition to the upper cross beaml0 by engagement of the same between the side plates I2 and angle platesattached to the forward face of the upper cross beam with the flanges 35thereof projecting forwardly therefrom. A single angle plate is securedadjacent each end of said upper cross beam with its flange 35 spacedfrom the side plate a distance equal tothe width of the shank portion ofa rake tooth and the remaining angle plates are arranged inequidistantly spaced pairs to respectively receive the shank portions ofthe intermediate rake teeth 20. I'he side plates I2 and the flanges 35are formed with aligned apertures 38 which are located to receivetherethrough retaining pins 31 so that said pins extend transverselyacross and in front of the shank portions 24.

As shown, the rake teeth are preferably renforced against wear by beadstrips 33 extending longitudinally of the forward faces of the shank andfoot portions thereof, said bead strips being notched to ilt over thebight portions ofthe clips 2B so that said clips underlie the beadstrips. The bead strips 38 are preferably narrower than the amanocharacter, the top soil will freely pass between the teeth and crossbeams without unduly dlsturbing the same or displacing thereof whileavoiding the turning of the subsoii thereover. It has also been observedthat a rake attachment of the type set forth leaves the cleared landfairly smooth and even so that the necessity of regrading isobviatedthus permitting of an immediate planting of crops. Y f

It is also apparent that the removal of and replacement of one or moreof the rake teeth 20 may be readily and speedily accomplished by merelyremoving the two locking pins 3| and 31 which retaineach tooth in placeand reinserting said pins after the teeth have been replaced. Inremoving larger stumps, it has been found necessary to run the rakealong each side of the stump to break off the roots after which the rakeis run directly against the stump.

What is claimed is: Y

l. In a pusher type rake attachment for vehicles, a rake frame includingvertically spaced upper and lower cross beams and rearwardly directedarms for mounting the frame for vertical movement on the forward .end ofthe vehicle, a plurality ,of rake teeth and means for detachablysupporting the teeth on the rake frame in transversely spaced uprightposition including apertured elements projecting rearwardly from therake teeth intermediate the ends thereof, mating upwardly protrudingapertured elements on the lower cross beam, retaining pins extendingthrough said mating apertured elements, pairs of teeth 20 and arearranged at the transverse centerthereof with the opposite endsterminating short of the upper and lower ends of the teeth.

In practice, the cross beams and rake teeth are so proportioned and areso spaced with reference to each other that 'in using the attachmentapplied'to the forward end of a tractor, truck or other vehicle forclearing land of stumps, underbrush, roots, rocks or other obstructionsof this apertured elements protruding forwardly from the upper crossbeam adapted to respectively receive the upper ends of the rake teethand retaining pins extending through the apertures of said latterelements in front of the rake teeth.

2. In a pusher type rake attachment for vehicles. a rake frame adaptedto be mounted on the front end of a vehicle and including verticallyspaced upper and lower cross-beams of rectangular cross section,longitudinally spaced pairs of apertured elements respectivelyprotruding from the forward face of the upper cross beam and from theupper face of the lower cross beam, removable retaining pins extendingthrough the apertures of said elements, a plurality of rake teeth eachhaving an upper shank portion with the upper ends located between theapertured lelements of the upper cross beam behind the pins, rearwardlydirected apertured arms adjacent the lower ends of the shanks locatedbetween the elements of the lower cross beam with the apertures thereofaligned therewith and the pins extending therethrough and said teetheach having a foot portion depending from the shank portion and dening arear shoulder underlying the lower cross beam.

3. In a pusher type rake attachment for vehicles. a rake frame adaptedto be mounted on the front end of a vehicle and includingvertlcallyspaced upper and lower cross beams, longitudinally spaced pairs ofapertured elements respectively protruding from the forward face of theupper cross beam and from the upper face of the lower cross beam,removable retaining pins extending through the apertures of saidelements, a plurality of rake teeth each having a shank portion with theupper end thereof located between the aperturecl elements of the 'uppercross beam in rear of the pin, rearwardly directed apertured armsadjacent the lower ends of the shanks located between the elements ofthe lower cross beam with the apertures thereof aligned therewith andthe pins extending therethrough to anchor the teeth to the rake frame,said teeth each having a foot portion depending from the shank portionand defining a shoulder at the rear of the tooth and underlying thelower cross beam, and pairs of spaced elements depending from the lowercross beam and engaging the opposite side faces of the foot portion ofeach rake tooth for bracing and reinforcing the same against lateralstrains and stresses.

4. In a pusher type rake attachment for vehicles, a rake frame includinga pair of vertically spaced horizontally disposed cross beams rigidlysecured in superposed relation and having rearwardly directed arms formounting the same on the front of the vehicle for vertical movement oisaid frame, a plurality ofA rake teeth each including a forwardly curveddownwardly tapering foot portion and an upwardly directed shank portionhaving its forward edge flush with the foot portion and its rear edgeoffset forwardly from the rear edge of thefoot portion to define ashoulder at the upper rear edge of the foot portion adapted to abut withthe under side of the lower cross beam, elements secured to the shankportions of the teeth defining rearwardly directed arms spaced above andparallel to the shoulders so as to abut with the upper side of the lowercross beam, upstanding pairs of flanges on said lower cross beam betweenwhich said rearwardly directed arms are snugly engaged, said arms andsaid flangeshaving registering apertures, retaining pins adapted toextend through said apertures for anchoring the rake teeth to the lowercross beam of the rake frame, and means for receiving and holding theupper ends of the shank portions of the teeth in juxtaposition to theupper cross beam including spaced pairs of apertured elements protrudingforwardly therefrom and retaining pins extending through said aperturedelements in front of the shank portion located between said pairs ofelements.

5. In a rake attachment for vehicles, a rake frame including a pair ofparallel vertically spaced horizontally disposed cross beams, sideplates rigidly connected to the opposite ends of the beams, rearwardlydirected side arms rigidly secured at their forward ends to the oppositeends of the lower cross beam, inclined brace members secured at theirlower rear ends to the side arms intermediate the ends thereof andsecured at their upper forward ends to the opposite ends of the uppercross beam and diagonal struts connected at their rear lower ends to theside arms and at their forward upper ends to the upper cross beamadjacent the central portion thereof. a plurality of rake teeth andmeans for detachably supporting said rake teeth on the rake )fram intransversely spaced upright position incly apertured elements protrudingrearwardly from the rake teeth intermediate the ends thereof. matingupwardly protruding apertured elements on the lower cross beam,retaining pins extending through said mating apertured elements foranchoring the rake teeth to the rake frame, pairs of apertured elementsprotruding forwardly from the upper cross beam adapted to respectivelyreceive the upper ends of the rake teeth and retaining pins extendingthroughthe apertures of said latter elements in front of the rake teethfor conning the same between said pairs of elements.

EDWARD SEMBLER. JOSEPH E. GERARD.

